Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her and her two sons. Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, together with Moses' sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountain of God. Jethro had sent word to him, 'I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.'

-Exodus 18:1-6

They greeted each other and then went into the tent. Moses told his father-in-law about everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the LORD had saved them.

-Exodus 18:7-8

Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the LORD had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. He said, 'Praise be to the LORD, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians.'

-Exodus 18:9-10

"Praise be to the Lord": Baruch Hashem: Blessed be the Lord

'Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.' Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.

-Exodus 18:11-12

The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, 'What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?'

-Exodus 18:13-14

Moses answered him, 'Because the people come to me to seek God's will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and instructions.'

-Exodus 18:15-16

Moses' father-in-law replied, 'What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.'

-Exodus 18:17-18

1. By first returning to the Story of God's love

2. By reordering the shape of our lives

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. ... It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

-Colossians 3:23, 24b

"Believing that God loves you and wants you to succeed even more than you want to succeed is the basis for reordering your lives."

If you are going to live in community with God during your time in the wilderness, you must:

1. Return to the story of God's love

2. Admit your limitations of the wilderness

3. Reorder your life